Welcome Yasmin! You will definitely NOT be the weird girl out on the Playa and friends are easy to make out there. Going alone the first time is the usual recommendation so that you are not obligated to do anything but have fun. Your first time will blow your mind and you will have sensory overload to the extreme. Do you have any camping experience?

TT120 wrote:Welcome Yasmin! You will definitely NOT be the weird girl out on the Playa and friends are easy to make out there. Going alone the first time is the usual recommendation so that you are not obligated to do anything but have fun. Your first time will blow your mind and you will have sensory overload to the extreme. Do you have any camping experience?

Haha nice. I actually like wandering places alone everywhere in life.... I'm kind of an introvert and a social butterfly at the same time. I truly feel like you cant fully experience life if you cant experience it ALONE. Yeah I've been camping... i've been to some desert parties. I know nothing compares to the Playa though. Give me and apple and a water bottle and i'll be fine for days... or so my mother says.

Come with a gallon of water a day, as we like to say. I agree with what everyone says... Join a camp if you want, I prefer it that way. I travel alone to meet up with my camp and I love it there. Once you meet the right group you kinda want to stay even longer (esp. us East Coast folks who only get to see our friends/family once a year)... Some folks change camps every year (or even within the same burn) looking for the perfect fit... It may not be there, but that's the joy in BM, there's something out there for practically everyone.

Illuminate. Navigate. Celebrate.What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?

Welcome!You could very well find a group to camp with just from participating in this forum.

I hear you on the value of one's own company!

You might want to go easy on the "little gifts to give out". While gifting is certainly one of the key principles, many gizmos and nic-nacs wind up in the trash as soon as possible. Perhaps you can come up with something very useful to most people, but I suggest you just "take it all in" your first year.

Now... a type of gift that is always welcome is a gift of your time and talent. Can you sing? Play an instrument? Paint human bodies? Repair bicycles? Cook fancy meals for large groups? Build a carnival game?

Welcome Yasmin! Regardless of how many people you go with..or not.. I think it's a personal journey. It was for me.. Do your research and go with NO expectations! Yes, even the dust turns to mud! You will be surrounded by people who are more than willing to help you if you're in trouble! You may also be camped next to an asshole...so get to know ALL your neighbors!! As far as gifts...help, encouragement, conversation are all great gifts! If you want to gift little objects, one's that can be tied, pinned or hung around the person are best! Don't let them hit the ground. Best of Luck!

Ok. So I just got the email I got approved for my low income ticket. I could freaking cry.. ok wait.. I am. Oh DARN.. Forgot I was at work.

Anyways... None of my other friends applied or got tickets which equals to me going by myself.

I am a virgin burner... Semi camping experience. I can handle anything. Not a cry baby.. if theres a will theres a way.

Any advice for a virgin burner thats going alone? Tips? MOST IMPORTANT TIPS? Lol..

Im so excited. I cant wait to connect with people and share my love and jokes! I cant wait to just be FREE.

I feel like I've been to burning man before... maybe before I was born.. who knows!

All that sounds important to me is:

-BIKE-WATER... A GALLON A DAY-PEE FUNNEL-BABY WIPES-SANITIZER-VINEGAR-FOOD... I Dont even know what food. Protein bars.. I honestly dont even care but im sure when i get there im going to be like OH SHIT I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT REAL FOOD.

Okay. Breathe. You've got a good attitude about roughing it, I like that. That's gonna go a long way.

You gotta make a list and figure out your options for getting there. Read the Survival Guide linked in orange in my signature. There is a section called "Your Survival in BRC". This will help you start your list. First thing you'd better add to that tiny list you started: Goggles. Warm coat for the cold nights. Canteen for water. Cup, because bars will not serve you without one. Sunscreen. A backpack is nice, so you leave camp for hours at a time. And try 1.5 gallons of water per person per day to be on the safe side. Etc.

Tattoogoddess started a mega-thread last year that's kinda fun. Some of the items are optional, but it's really good to put these things under consideration. My packing list. Am I missing anything? viewtopic.php?f=3&t=52827

Go poke around in the Preparation forum; see Food and Drink subforum for an idea of what people eat. Protein bars are fine for breakfast or snacks, but you'll probably need to mix it up or your guts will knot themselves right up.

If you want to join a camp, this is a good time to start poking around the 2013 Theme Camps forum or exploring the "Regionals" link on the main site for camps based near Valencia. California has a ton of Burners.

*** 2013 Survival Guide ***"I must've lost it when I was twerking at the trash fence." -- BBadger

Bicycle -- best if you can bring a cheap but reliable bicycle yourself. But if you cannot, there is always Elliot's Bicycle Service, which will have around 15 bicycles to lend, and only a few are spoken for so far. I try to reserve them for people from very far away, but if you will be traveling to BM by motor-scooter, then we can probably fix you up with a loaner bicycle. And of course, ePlayans go to the front of the line.

Water -- probably more water, so you have some for washing also. Washing your whole self with a wash rag is considered an acceptable "shower". Buy the 1 Gallon bottles of clear plastic, not the 2 1/2 Gallon "suitcases" of flimsy grey "milk jug" plastic. The suitcases often leak.

Further about drinking water -- you will also want some Gatorade or other electrolyte supplement.

Food -- definitely bring some real food in addition to granola bars and such. You will most likely not eat much in the heat, but you do need proper nutrition in that harsh environment, and also to maintain a little bit of normalcy -- at least your first year.

Actual shower.... You can buy a black-plastic-bag-shower at a sporting goods store. It needs to be hung up high enough to shower under, of course. At the other end of the spectrum there are camps with elaborate showers. Not sure what to tell you except that it will be fine. If you borrow a shower, you should bring replacement water.

TP, single ply.

Lighting, and a flashlight. A miner's lamp -- straps onto your forehead -- is very useful.

Yes, there is much more to learn, and you will over the next few months.

One of the best bits of advice I got for my first burn was : Plan every meal, and don't bring a ton of extra food. Yes, bring some nice food gifts if you like. e.g. on the Thursday of my first burn, a fellow camp member brought out a full cheese board, biscuits and a couple of bottles of port. I was amazed! But in hindsight, I now realize that it is incredibly easy to do. Secondly, with a decent cooler you can keep your food cold all week. ALL week! It's easy : just empty out the melted water every couple of days and repack with fresh ice. I was eating the most delicious salads right up to the end of the week.

Yazzysays wrote:-FOOD... I Dont even know what food. Protein bars.. I honestly dont even care but im sure when i get there im going to be like OH SHIT I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT REAL FOOD.

If you're only cooking for your self, I would suggest one of these simple single burner type stove deals. I call them 'jet burners' because the really expensive super compact backpacking ones sound like a small jet engine when on. I highly recomend this larger (not as expensive) sort for car camping. The green 1lb propane cans are sold separately, not expensive, and easy to pack. I could only find pictures of Coleman brand, but other cheaper brands are just as good.

I also recommend a tea kettle. Its very easy to boil water in a tea kettle then poor into cup'o'noodles, instant potato packets, or dehydrated camping meals (ie Mountain House). I was taught that its not good to cook canned foods like soup, canned veggies, or chilli right in the can. But, personally I feel that eating out of a can a couple of times a week, for one weak a year, probably isn't going to kill me. Eating right out of the can means that you're only dirty dish is a fork or a spoon- no pot, pan, or plate to wash.

Why don't ya stick your head in that hole and find out? ~pieholePlan for the worst, expect the best. Make the most out of it under any conditions. If you cannot do that you will never enjoy yourself. ~CrispyDave